GRADE 7: Life science 4. UNIT 7L.4 7 hours. Growing plants. Resources. About this unit. Previous learning. Expectations

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1 GRADE 7: Life science 4 Growing plants UNIT 7L.4 7 hours About this unit This unit is the fourth of six units on life science for Grade 7. This unit is designed to guide your planning and teaching of lessons on life science. It provides a link between the standards for science and your lesson plans. The teaching and learning activities should help you to plan the content and pace of lessons. Adapt the ideas to meet your students needs. For extension or consolidation activities, look at the scheme of work for Grade 8 and Grade 6. You can also supplement the activities with appropriate tasks and exercises from your school s textbooks and other resources. Introduce the unit to students by summarising what they will learn and how this builds on earlier work. Review the unit at the end, drawing out the main learning points, links to other work and real life applications. Previous learning To meet the expectations of this unit, students should already know that green plants make their own food. They should know the parts of flowering plants responsible for anchorage (roots), circulation (xylem and phloem), gas exchange (stomata), food production (leaves and stem) and waste removal (stomata). Expectations By the end of the unit, students describe how water and nutrients enter and pass through a plant, and know that nitrogen and other nutrients are required for plant growth. They plan investigations, make predictions, collect data and make observations in a systematic way, identify patterns, and draw appropriate generalised conclusions and test predictions. They use a microscope, prepare a slide and examine objects such as root hairs and leaf structures. Students who progress further describe the structure and function of plant cells involved in photosynthesis. They know that green plants make their own food by photosynthesis, which requires light and the chlorophyll in chloroplasts, together with water and carbon dioxide, and that oxygen is produced. They consider the validity of evidence, the extent to which it supports a prediction, and draw conclusions. Resources The main resources needed for this unit are: selection of different seeds (e.g. cress, beans, oats, grass) containers or seed trays and growth mediums (e.g. potting compost, peat, inert growth mediums such as rock wool, sand, perlite) shoots of various plants, dye, scalpel, prepared slides of transverse sections of stems and leaves, microscope with low- and high-power objective lenses plants with growing root systems (e.g. spring onions, garlic, germinating mung beans or cress), video clip of roots growing leafy plant and plastic bag two-coloured carnation flower prepared by splitting the stem lengthways and placing the two halves in water containing different coloured dyes video clips and/or photographs of large-scale fertiliser application to farmland a selection of labels from packaged fertilisers Internet access, spreadsheet programme (e.g. Excel) Key vocabulary and technical terms Students should understand, use and spell correctly: nutrients, minerals, fertiliser, nitrates xylem, phloem, transpiration 63 Qatar science scheme of work Grade 7 Unit 7L.4 Life science 4 Education Institute 2005

2 Standards for the unit Unit 7L.4 7 hours SUPPORTING STANDARDS CORE STANDARDS Grade 7 standards EXTENSION STANDARDS 3 hours Water and nutrient uptake in plants Know the parts of flowering plants that are responsible for anchorage (roots), circulation (xylem and phloem), gas exchange (stomata), food production (leaves and stems), reproduction (flowers) and waste removal (stomata) Describe how water and nutrients enter a root hair and pass up through a plant Know that nitrogen and other nutrients are required for plant growth Know that green plants make their own food by photosynthesis and that water and carbon dioxide are required and oxygen is produced. Nutrients required for plant growth Measure the effect of a nitrogen based fertiliser on plant growth Plan investigations, controlling variables and collecting an appropriate range of evidence, identify patterns in observations and data, draw appropriate generalised conclusions and test predictions Consider the extent to which evidence justifies a conclusion or supports a prediction or hypothesis Plan investigations, controlling variables and collecting an appropriate range of evidence, identify patterns in observations and data, draw appropriate generalised conclusions and test predictions Use a range of methods, such as description, diagrams, pictures, tables, graphs and calculations, using ICT methods where appropriate, to communicate observations, data, results and conclusions Plan investigations, controlling variables and collecting an appropriate range of evidence, using appropriate techniques to ensure accuracy, identify patterns in observations and data, draw generalised conclusions and test predictions Consider the extent to which the evidence justifies a conclusion or supports a prediction or hypothesis, and identify further investigations that might be needed. 64 Qatar science scheme of work Grade 7 Unit 7L.4 Life science 4 Education Institute 2005

3 Activities Unit 7L.4 Objectives Possible teaching activities Notes School resources 3 hours Water and nutrient uptake in plants Describe how water and nutrients enter a root hair and pass up through a plant. Plan investigations, controlling variables and collecting an appropriate range of evidence, identify patterns in observations and data, draw appropriate generalised conclusions and test predictions. Review what students already know about the structure of plants from Grade 6. Ask students to explain the function of the roots, stem and leaves of a plant. They should recall that there are two different transport tubes in a plant: xylem to transport water and phloem to transport dissolved sugars. Roots have two functions, to anchor the plant and to take in water. Explain to students that roots also take in minerals that are dissolved in the water. Make sure students understand that these nutrients are not food for the plant. An investigation to look at later in the unit needs to be set up at this stage so that it can be monitored over a number of weeks. Provide students with a choice of different seeds (e.g. cress, beans, oats, grass) and ask them to plan an investigation to find out what effect adding fertiliser will have on the plants. Provide a choice of growth mediums (e.g. potting compost, peat and inert growth mediums such as rock wool, sand, perlite). Allow students to work in groups and make their own decisions about the containers, seeds and growth medium they use, also how much fertiliser they add and how often they measure the effect of the fertiliser. Some groups may choose to modify their plan over the next few weeks. Provide students with plants with growing root systems (e.g. spring onions, garlic, germinating mung beans or cress). Challenge them to find out how roots are adapted for taking in water and ask them to look closely at the roots using a hand lens and a microscope. If available, show a video clip of roots growing. Remind students of the specialised cells they studied at the start of Grade 7 and ask them to draw and describe how root hair cells are specialised for absorbing water. A simple way to explain this is to draw the outline of a typical plant cell and a root hair cell, follow the outline in string, then compare the length of string to show how much greater the surface area of the root hair cell is. (Students do not need to know about osmosis at this stage.) Safety: Be careful when perlite is dry, as the dust is an irritant. Perlite should be handled wearing a mask or moistened before use. Enquiry skill There is a short clip of root hairs growing at Enquiry skill Use this column to note your own school s resources, e.g. textbooks, worksheets. Show students a carnation flower that is dramatically one half red and one half blue and ask students how they think you have made this happen. They may correctly suggest that you have split the stem and placed the two halves in different coloured dyes. Ask students to place various cut shoots of plants in dyed water for a few hours then cut thin transverse sections to observe xylem tubes with a microscope. Provide students with prepared slides of transverse sections of stems and leaves to see that xylem tubes are present in both. Summarise for students that water enters the roots and travels up the stem and ask where it goes next. Students should be able to explain that water is used in photosynthesis by the leaves. Remind them that leaves have tiny holes in them called stomata for gas exchange. Explain that water also evaporates from leaves and this is called transpiration. Demonstrate this by placing a leafy plant in good light. Cover some of the leaves in a clear polythene bag and make a seal. Students can observe the water from transpiration gather on the sides of the bag. Prepare a two-coloured carnation flower in advance by splitting the stem lengthways and placing the two halves in water containing different coloured dyes. Safety: Students must take care when using scalpels. Enquiry skill Qatar science scheme of work Grade 7 Unit 7L.4 Life science 4 Education Institute 2005

4 Objectives Possible teaching activities Notes School resources Nutrients required for plant growth Know that nitrogen and other nutrients are required for plant growth. Recap with students that plants use carbon dioxide and water in photosynthesis to make sugars. Explain that for plants to make other substances, in particular proteins, they need other elements. Ask students why they need to eat proteins as part of their diet and establish that proteins are important for growth. Explain that plants also need proteins to grow the difference is that instead of eating proteins, plants make them. Ask students where plants get these minerals from. Ask students to think through what will happen to the soil of a field over a number of years if a farmer grows a crop every year and adds nothing to the soil. Also ask them to think about how well the crops grow each year. Explain that the mineral content of the soil will become very low, crops will fail to grow and this is why farmers add fertiliser to the soil. Provide a selection of labels from packaged fertilisers so that students can look at the minerals that they contain in particular nitrates. Explain the term NPK fertiliser it means that the fertiliser contains compounds that contain the elements nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Ask students to summarise information about the nutrients plants need as a table, describing the role each nutrient plays in the life of the plant. Tell them the cost of a pack of fertiliser, and the recommended application rate, and ask them to calculate the cost per 100 square metres of crop. Show students video clips or photographs of large-scale fertiliser application to farmland. Ask students whether there is any alternative to using expensive fertilisers; they may suggest using organic fertilisers. Extension activity Ask students to use the Internet or reference books to research carnivorous plants (e.g. Venus fly trap, sundew and pitcher plants). These plants eat insects; challenge the students to find out why. (Most of these plants live in highly acidic wetland habitats low in soil nutrients and eat insects to compensate for the low availability of nutrients.) Mathematics: Calculating cost of fertiliser per 100 square metres. Enquiry skill ICT opportunity: Use of the Internet. 66 Qatar science scheme of work Grade 7 Unit 7L.4 Life science 4 Education Institute 2005

5 Objectives Possible teaching activities Notes School resources Measure the effect of a nitrogen based fertiliser on plant growth Know that nitrogen and other nutrients are required for plant growth. Use a range of methods, such as description, diagrams, pictures, tables, graphs and calculations, using ICT methods where appropriate, to communicate observations, data, results and conclusions. The students fertiliser investigation continues over a number of weeks. Ask them to take measurements of their seedlings as they grow and record their results in a table. Some students may only be measuring the height of the plant, while others may also be measuring the size and number of leaves. Once students have collected sufficient results, possibly over 6 weeks, get them to input their data on a spreadsheet so that they can produce different types of graphs and look for patterns in their results. Explain to students how to evaluate their investigation. For example, is there a significant difference between the seeds grown with and without fertiliser? Groups who chose to grow beans or used potting compost may find that there is very little difference. Ask students if they have any unexpected or anomalous results some groups may have added too much fertiliser or not enough water and their plants did not grow well. Students can learn a great deal about what makes a good investigation by comparing the results they obtained and conclusions they drew with those of other groups. Explain to groups whose results do not show any clear patterns that they have learnt a lot about effective planning rather than failed the investigation. Ask each group to present their findings and their evaluation of their investigation. After each presentation, ask the rest of the class to provide constructive feedback about the group s investigation. Ask the whole class which type of seeds and which growth medium produced the most reliable results and to design an improved investigation. Explain that research scientists carry out small-scale trials like this to check their experimental design. Enquiry skill ICT opportunity: Use of spreadsheet software. 67 Qatar science scheme of work Grade 7 Unit 7L.4 Life science 4 Education Institute 2005

6 Assessment Unit 7L.4 Examples of assessment tasks and questions Notes School resources Assessment Set up activities that allow students to demonstrate what they have learned in this unit. The activities can be provided informally or formally during and at the end of the unit, or for homework. They can be selected from the teaching activities or can be new experiences. Choose tasks and questions from the examples to incorporate in the activities. Plants take in water from the soil. Nada did an experiment to find out whether there is anything else in soil that plants need for growth. The diagrams of flasks A and B show the results of Nada s experiment. Nada made the clear, brown solution in flask B by shaking a mixture of soil and water and then separating the solution from the soil particles a. How could Nada separate the brown solution from the soil particles? b. Explain why Nada grew one plant in distilled water. c. i. What type of substance, dissolved in the water in flask B, is used by the plant for growth? ii. How are roots adapted for taking in water? d. Nada set up a second experiment using three similar plants. The solution in flasks C, D and E was the same. She put all three flasks in sunny position. The diagrams show the results of Nada s second experiment. The plant in flask C was the only one which grew well in this experiment. Explain why. Adapted from QCA Year 9 science test, 1999 a Two Grade 7 students explain why plants have roots: Rabab says Plants get food through their roots. Omar says Plants only take in water through their roots. Both students answers are not quite correct. Write a fuller and more detailed explanation of why plants have roots. 68 Qatar science scheme of work Grade 7 Unit 7L.4 Life science 4 Education Institute 2005